making it

Look, we're a show all about honesty here... And honestly, Harley's just come from a boozy brunch so you know today's gonna be a bit loose before it's even started. 

So naturally the conversation may sway towards some very interesting stories from some well oiled nights out before lockdown was a thing. 

Also, if you liked #GoatChat on Monday, we give you a little follow up today.

Plus, we couldn't forget to mention Harley's other current project 'Making It', and a severed finger... but not in the same conversation of course. 

Happy Friday! 
 
LINKS

• Harley Breen @harley.breen
• Nikki Britton @thenikkibritton
• Nova Podcasts Instagram @novapodcastsofficial
• Fish The Lamb @fishthelamb
• Drinkwise

CREDITS
Hosts: Harley Breen & Nikki Britton 

Executive Producer: Rachael Hart

Managing Producer: Elle Beattie 

Editor: Adrian Walton

Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew

• The Tomorrow War: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_tomorrow_war
• Pokemon Go Community Day: https://pokemongolive.com/events/community-day/
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472954/

Lauren

• Ru Paul's Drag Race, All Stars: https://www.paramountplus.com/
• Comicpalooza: https://www.comicpalooza.com/
• Making It: https://www.nbc.com/making-it
• Dan Hipp: https://www.instagram.com/danhipp/

Patrick

• Lumin: http://playlumin.com/
• Apple Arcade: https://apps.apple.com/us/story/id1456880492
• Remote Working Tips

Watch us live on Twitch every Monday at 7pm CT: https://www.twitch.tv/mof1podcast

This week The TV Boys sit down to discuss Amy Poehler. When was she in SNL? Is she really from Pawnee? What is the most tragic TV death? What is Izzy's most hated sound? Join us as we answer all these questions and much more.

In 20 years of working in private equity, Hossam Abou Moussa has seen the makings of great businesses across industries in Egypt and other emerging markets. At Actis, he is a partner in the private equity business, as well as chief operating officer of the unit. Actis is one of the leading investors in emerging markets, and currently operates roughly USD 10 bn under management. In Egypt, they have invested in some of Egypt’s biggest companies, including CIB, Edita, International Diagnostics Holding, and Fawry.

In our last episode of the season and the year, Abou Moussa outlines the three fundamental aspects investors look for in a business and how to leverage them for fundraising, as well as how to choose a business partner or investor, and when to choose private equity as an option.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for free  https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can learn about Actis here: https://www.act.is/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hisham Shawki and Nancy Zayed launched MagicCube in 2014 with the intention of eliminating the redundancy of hardware-based security currently used in mobile and IoT devices. The primary target of their technology is the USD 48 bn POS hardware market, a strategy that attracted investments from Visa and CIB’s VC arm CVentures. Beyond financial services, the security platform has major applications in industrial machinery, medical devices, and autonomous vehicles.

The implications on emerging markets looking to improve financial inclusion are undeniable. By removing costly barriers to entry caused by manufacturing and deployment of hardware components, the technology can help bring a greater portion of the informal economy into the system. 

Hisham and Nancy take us back to how they went from building software in Egypt to working at tech companies that arguably changed the world, and share with us their favorite stories about meeting Steve Jobs.

** Subscribe to Making it here for free https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can check out MagicCube here: magiccube.co

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With brick and mortar retail seeing declining growth in developed markets fueled by competition from e-commerce, Majid Al Futtaim tells a story that might look a little different in emerging markets. Malls here still see growing popularity and Majid Al Futtaim’s retail brands are household names in Egypt and the region.

Ahmed Galal Ismail led Majid Al Futtaim Ventures for 10 years prior to his current role. Today, Ismail leads Majid Al Futtaim Properties, the arm responsible for malls, hotels, communities and project management within the conglomerate. His tenure managing the fashion, cinema and entertainment arms of the business equipped him with a critical ethos - solving for experience and not function. 

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for free  https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can check out Majid Al Futtaim here: majidalfuttaim.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your business sells time — yours or your team’s or both — then this week’s episode is for you. 

Lawyering is perhaps the world’s second-oldest profession — and the source of endless jokes, the vast majority of them (pleasantly?) tasteless. 

Today’s episode features a lawyer — and an awfully nice one, at that — but think of him as a stand-in for every business in the service industry, from ad agencies to engineering consultants, PR types and accountants. 

From attracting and retaining talent, to creating culture and monetization, Bahaa Alieldean discusses the similarities and universal challenges facing law firms as well as other service providers. We explore creating corporate structure and how micromanagement prevents founders from transitioning away from day-to-day operations into traditionally accepted CEO responsibilities.

Bahaa is a law professor and practising corporate lawyer specializing in capital markets, banking transactions and dispute resolution. He established his law firm ALC Alieldean, Weshahi & Partners in 2003 favoring a model of collective practice with specialization groups over the traditional office of a solo practitioner.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.You can check out Alieldean, Weshahi & Partners here: http://www.alc.law/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The majority of Egypt’s population are unbanked and have no access to financial services. Thanks to fintech players like Fawry, this is changing quickly — and for the better. When Ashraf Sabry founded Fawry in 2008, he knew he wanted to leverage his experience and technology in a business that had recurring revenue. Flash forward and, a decade later, Fawry is now a payments platform that connects over 29 mn customers through 166K service points across the country, and can be used for over 850 services ranging from utility bills and school tuition, to traffic fines and insurance. 

 

Ashraf talked to us about building the platform from the idea stage to becoming a major listed company on the EGX with international shareholders. He told us how the company was built with local talent, the company’s early stage challenges, and what’s next for Fawry.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can check out Fawry here: www.fawry.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zooba sells taamiya, not falafel. When Chris Khalifa launched Zooba in 2012, the goal was to elevate Egyptian street food from cheap, delicious, everyday sustenance to a global brand. By 2020, Zooba’s value proposition had already shaped a loyal following at home and abroad with branches in Egypt, a franchise agreement in the GCC, and a New York outpost — opened just before covid-19 hit. 

Chris talks to us about what it takes to change people’s perception on how much street food should cost through the power of a strong brand. We discuss introducing new food to foreign markets, teaching Westerners how to say Taamiya, and how Zooba survives economic crises.

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for free https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

You can check out Zooba here: www.zoobaeats.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making It is back for its third season. Making It is a show about building great businesses in Egypt. Each episode brings you a one-on-one sit-down with a CEO or founder at the top of their game. They are leaders at the helm of businesses going through different stages of growth and they discuss with us the issues they face, the challenges they have to overcome, and what it takes to “Make it.”

This is our second season to come out since Covid-19, and a full return to working from the office has yet to take place. The majority of our guests were recorded remotely. This season’s guests span industries ranging from food and retail to fintech and healthcare.

Season three kicks off on Thursday, 8 October, but until then, you can catch up on season two with: 

• Omar Hagrass, Co-founder and CEO of Trella
• Hoda Mansour, Managing Director of SAP Egypt and Frontier Markets
• Tarek Assaad and Karim Hussein, Algebra Ventures Managing Partners 
• Sahar Salama, Founder and CEO of TPay Mobile
• Amr Abouesh, CEO and Managing Director of Tanmeyah
• Laila Sedky and Adel Sedky, Founder and CEO of NOLA
• Mohamed El Kalla, CEO of Cairo for Investment and Real Estate (CIRA)

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press.

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're going to sit down at the wheel and throw an episode for y'all about some British reality tv coming to an HBO Max near you. But first - the Emmy nominations were released and we have thoughts (shocker). Basically if Schitt's Creek doesn't sweep we're quitting. So after our designated time for gripes and gloats, we're on to The Dog House (UK?), a show that's a real mixed bag featuring puppies and poor decision making. While we aren't sure The Dog House is for us, the show that decidedly IS for us is The Great Pottery Throwdown (or as we so confidently call it, The Great British Throwdown - at some point all show names are the same). We learn about ceramics, we learn about how horny pottery can be, there's history lessons... and we won't spill the beans here but it's possible we may even have a new addition to the Dad Canon. Tune in to find out!

In our pilot episode, we sit down with International Cooperation Minister Rania Al Mashat to discuss a variety of different topics including her personal philosophy on economic reform, and her career trajectory from the youngest intern at the IMF to her public service at the Egyptian Central Bank, the Ministry of Tourism and her current role at the MOIC.

Al Mashat outlines the economic diplomacy responsibilities of her ministry, which coordinates bilateral, multilateral and multi stakeholder development partnerships on both public and private sector projects as part of a larger goal - implementing and financing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon by UN members by 2030. 

Al Mashat pushes the Global Partnership Narrative, which aims to create mass awareness on the impact of achieving the SDGs by presenting it through a lens with people at the core, projects in action, and purpose as the driver. We discuss how Covid-19 has impacted Egypt’s 2030 vision, and the subsequent fast-track of projects seen as crucial in mitigating the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic.

 

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at enterprise.press.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

After Hours is a working title. We welcome your suggestions for the title of the show and any suggestions for guests and topics at editorial@enterprise.press

If you liked this episode, leave us a comment and a review.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omar Hagrass, CEO of Trella

On this week’s episode of Making It, we remotely sit down with Omar Hagrass, the CEO and co-founder of Trella, a digital trucking marketplace. The company’s application acts as a hub for shippers and carriers, eliminating the time-consuming and inefficient manual process of using brokers. Trella is a relatively new company, raising an impressive USD 600k pre-seed round led by Algebra Ventures in 2019. They joined and graduated the Y Combinator program shortly after,  acquired their Egyptian rival Trukto to become the largest trucking marketplace in the country, before expanding to Saudi Arabia. 

As the Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges and disruptions to supply chains across the world, Trella’s technology allows shippers to gain valuable insight over their resources during a time when optimization is desperately needed. Hagrass offers advice to entrepreneurs on the intricacies of disruption and growth, and details why Trella has the potential to become the country’s first unicorn.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

You can check out Trella here: trella.app 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hoda Mansour, Managing Director of SAP Egypt and Frontier Markets

Hoda Mansour was twice recognized by Forbes as one of the most influential businesswomen in the Middle East for her work in SAP in the UAE, Oman, and Egypt. SAP’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software is among the most widely used across the world, at a time when the livelihood of many businesses hinges on establishing a digital presence. She details the reasons multinationals find Egypt attractive, and outlines how to prepare for the mass adoption of automation services and its impact on the workforce.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://kite.link/making-it.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

You can check out SAP here: www.sap.com/mena/index

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Algebra Ventures Managing Partners Tarek Assaad and Karim Hussein

From a background of senior positions at multinationals, Algebra Ventures Managing Partners Tarek Assaad and Karim Hussein are driven by a belief that tech and entrepreneurship can enable tangible change in a region where basic services can often be major inconveniences. Established in 2015, Algebra Ventures is a USD 54 mn venture capital fund that invests in early stage tech startups in the MENA region. The fund is the largest of its kind in Egypt.

Assaad and Hussein outline the most important features they look for in startups, including tackling big markets and possessing a strong management team, as well as the red flags they avoid at all costs. Our host, Patrick, sat down with Assaad and Hussein in December, before Covid-19 put us all on work from home.

DISCLAIMER: Algebra Ventures Managing Partner Ziad Mokhtar could not join us for this interview.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

You can check out Algebra Ventures here: algebraventures.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sahar Salama, Founder and CEO of TPay Mobile

In a country with low banking penetration and high mobile adoption, Sahar Salama saw a business opportunity in creating a payment solution through telecom operators. She used her experience at Link Development to create a direct operator billing model and launched TPay Mobile in 2014. 

Launched in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE simultaneously, they now operate in over 18 markets across MENA covering almost 51 mn transactions a day. 

The company made headlines in 2017 by making the first wholesale acquisition of a fintech company in Egypt when they acquired their primary competitors DCBEgypt. In 2018, they became the region’s first Dragon, when A15 sold its 76% stake to Helios Investment. Salama talks to our host, Patrick, about conception, the challenges of scaling, the importance of finding the right partners, and her future plans to make TPay what she considers a great business.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

You can check out TPay at: tpaymobile.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having served as Executive Advisor for Microsofinance at Banque du Caire and then as head of the microfinance and SMEs division at the Bank of Alexandria, Amro Abouesh believed in private sector financing as a means to enable social mobility within the low income sector of society.

By founding Tanmeyah in 2009, Amro effectively launched private microfinance in Egypt and helped bring in Egypt’s leading private equity, commercial and investment banks. Today Tanmeyah sits at the top of the industry with over 270 branches across the country and an EGP 3.5 bn portfolio.

Abouesh walks us through the risk assessment process and his experience navigating policy and legislation to establish Tanmeyah and private microfinance.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories.

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

You can check out Tanmeyah at tanmeyah.com/en

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laila Sedky and Adel Sedky, Founder and CEO of NOLA

As Founder and CEO of one of the most recognizable brands in the confectionary business, Laila and Adel understand the business of selling happiness. Their tenure at Nola saw them grow the brand beyond the flagship store in Zamalek to a confectionary giant with 25 stores across 7 cities.

From leading the local cupcake craze to making pivotal decisions on the sustainability of their brand and the subsequent reorienting of their customers, all while dishing out fresh and exciting takes on classic Egyptian desserts, Laila and Adel are experts at marketing and operations, looking beyond trends, and separating between work and family.

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40 year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

** Subscribe to Making it here https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

You can check out NOLA’ extensive range of products on their website or instagram.

www.nolabakery.com

https://www.instagram.com/nolacupcakes

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Award Season, and that means it's time for the 2019 Really Fucking Good Television Award Show For Nice People Only, and we are bringing BIG MEGXIT ENERGY to the party this year. These are complicated matters that will take time to work through, and here we are working through them together to bring you our wildest rides, favorite canadians, Li'l Hygge's Knitting Corner, and all your other favorite awards categories. Big winners this year were Schitt's Creek, Score: A Hockey Musical, and as always, Friendship. Make sure you play along with our new drinking game and drink every time we bring in the Queen's Megxit Press Release!

After taking over the helm at Azza Fahmy back in 2006, Fatma Ghali, along with her sister Amina, built on the legacy of their mother, spearheading the expansion of the brand outside of Egypt and added a contemporary perspective to the company’s designs. They established a foothold in the European market through collaborations with leading fashion designers such as Julien MacDonald and Mathew Williamson and fashion houses such as Preen. They also popularized their brands with exhibits at the British Museum.

 

In today’s episode, Fatma Ghali talks to us about the challenges of taking on a 50-year legacy is branching out of its historical field of jewelry design and is moving into all aspects of design, including architecture, having designed KarmSolar’s Sahl Hasheesh campus. Azza Fahmy branded products are currently being sold in the company's 16 stores, located in six different countries and across four continents, in addition to the most widely used online and e-commerce sites. 

 

** Subscribe to Making it here for https://bit.ly/35lugvb.

 

** Subscribe to Enterprise, our 6am briefing on business, finance, and economics in Egypt (also free) at www.enterprise.press. 

 

Making It is grateful for the generous support of:

 

CIB, Egypt’s number-one private-sector bank and the partner of choice for CEOs and leaders of businesses at all stages of their growth stories

 

The United States Agency for International Development, which has a 40-year history of inspiring Egyptian success in partnership with the Government and people of Egypt.

 

EFG Hermes, the leading financial services corporation in frontier emerging markets helping businesses realize their full growth potential.

 

Links:

* Azza Fahmy: azzafahmy.com

* Enterprise: Enterprise.press

* Inktank: Inktankcommunications.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.